Combination-ladder.



190.891,379. PATENTED JUNE 2a. 1903.

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COMBINATION LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2.1. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

(kh'twery,

' .891379. 'Y PATENTE-JUNE 23 19o8.` 'N9' funscoTT,

COMBINATION LADDER.

PPLIU TI N FILED PT.2-1.19 A A o SE 07 2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

@CELS/602% THE Nunms PETER: co.. wAsHlwnmN. n. c.

FRANCIS E. SCOTT, OF CENTERVILLE, INDIANA.

COMBINATION-LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed september 21, 1907.

Patented June 23, 1908.

serial No. 393,881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS E. ScoTT, a citizen of the United States,residing in Centerville, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana,have produced certain new and useful Improvements 'inCombination-Ladders,

of which the following is a complete specifi-l cation.

This invention relates more particularly to a combined store serviceladder and a step-I standards, or sizes, of my ladder, ,which partsladder, to be used interchangeably.

The object of my present invention, broadly slpeaking, is to provide aconstruction whic service ladder, being mounted on carrying Wheels andoperable in connection with shelving or the like, at the same time beingconvertible into an ordinary step ladder adapted to stand stationary andbe self supporting.

The invention lies in the combination of store-service ladder and anordinary stepladder, and in the several details of construction whichwill hereinafter be fully pointed out, and features which are new willbe correlated in the appended claims.

The preferred manner for the construction of this lnvention, and thatwhich in practice has been found to be the most desirable, is shown mostclearly in the accompanying two sheets of drawings, in which-- Figure 1is a side elevation of my invention in operative position as employed asa storeservice ladder, being shown in connection with ordinary storeshelving. Fig. V2 is a side elevation of the same in operative positionwhen employed asan ordinary step-ladder. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation ofmy ladder folded. Fig. 4 is a face view of one of the iioor wheels. Fig.5 is a detail vertical section of the lower portion of one side of theladder. Fig. 6 is a detail vertical section of one of the upper rollerbearings. Fig. 7 is a detail vertical cross section of the u per portionof my ladder. Fig. 8 is a detai vertical section of one side of theladder, showing the legs opened back from the standards. detail verticalsection of the complementary parts from that shown in Fig. 6, andshowing the housings therefor separated therefrom.

Similar reference characters denote 'like parts throughout the severalviews of the two sheets of drawings.

In order that the construction and operation of my invention may be morefully understood andcomprehended I will now take will be highlyeflicient as a store And Fig. 9 is a' up a detailed description thereofin which I will set forth the same as briefly as I may.

Referring now to the drawings in detail:

The letter A designates the floor line of a room,while the letter Bdenotes the ordinary.

base-shelf, and the letter C denotes one of a -plurality of shelvesabove the base, said parts eing shown merely in order to explain onemanner of using my invention.

The numerals 1 and 2 designate the main are spaced and connected by aplurality of steps, as indicated by the characters 3, 3', 4 and 5.Formed laterally in the lower ends of the respective standards are thevertical slots 6 and 7 in which are revolubly mounted the respectivelicor-wheels 8 and Qwhich are carried on their res ective axles 10 and11. The peripheries of t e said wheels should be tired with resilientmaterial, as rubber or leather.

The numeral 12 denotes the horizontal top of the ladder proper, whichtop extends back some distance beyond the standards, it being understoodthat the standards are to be inclined at an angle, substantially asshown when they are in operative position.

Secured to the outer faces of the upper ends of the standards andextending back to near the rear edge of the to 12 are the respectivebrackets 14 and 15, w "ch support the shelf to which they are secured.

The standards 1 and 2 may be extended up, through the top 12, anydesired distance above the ltop 12 forming the extensions 48v Contactingwith the underside of thel topl 12 and extending between the brackets 14and 15, isa cleat 16, which is, primarily for the purpose which willhereinafter be referred to.

From the rear ends of the brackets, above referred to, there extendsdown at right angles thereto, and integral therewith, the forks orhangers 14 and 15', each having a pair of prongs between which arerevolubly mounted the track-wheels 19 and 20, respectively, each beingmounted on its respective shaft-bolt 2l and 22. The numerals 17 and 18denote, each, a two-part housing, each having an interior space openingdownward. The upper ends of each member of the two pairs-of housings arenotched in engagement with the rear portion of the respective brackets,and are held in place by the respective shaft-bolts 21 and 22 abovereferred to, as shown in Fig. 6. The peripheries of said wheels 19 and20 should be covered with a resilient tire to contact with the track 23,which track is secured to the edge of one of the shelves C, from whichit extends outward and then upward, as shown in Fig. 1, beingsubstantially L- shaped in cross section. Located on each side of eachof the wheels 19 and 20, revoluble at right angles thereto, and mountedon headed shafts therefor, are the guide-rollers 24 and 25 for the one,and 26 and 27 for the other.

-Said guide rollers are formed, preferably of leather or the like andthey extend down slightly below the lowest points of their respectiveguide-wheels, and centrally of their respective housings to which theyare connected as shown in Fig. 6. Each pair of said guide-rollers isadapted to contact with the opposite sides of the upwardly extendingportion of the track 23 as shown.

The numerals 28 and 29 designate legs rigidly connected together by thecross bars 30, 31 and 32, and they are further secured by the wirebraces 33 as shown in Fig. 3. The upper ends of said legs areeccentrically and pivotally mounted as follows: The numerals 34 and 35denote links for the respective legs, one end of each being pivotallysecured to the inner face, and near the center of the horizontalportions of the brackets 14 and 15, by the respective bolts 36 and 37.The other end of said links are pivoted to the outer face of the upperend portion of the respective legs 28 and 29. The length of said linksare such that the forward faces of the legs may be contacted with therear edges'of the standards 1 and 2, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7 or theymay be moved back to where the,

upper ends of the legs will contact with the underside of the cleat 16,in order that the construction may be used as an ordinary step-ladder,in which position it is shown in Figs. 2 and 8.

The standards l and 2 are connected, near their central portions, to therespective legs 28 and 29 by pivoted folding arms 38 and 39. Said armsare adapted to retain the legs apart and in proper relations to thestandards 1 and 2 when the construction is to be employed as astep-ladder, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, or to be folded in when the legsand standards are contacted together as in Figs. 1, 5 and 7.

A vertical slot or aperture is formed in the lower portion of each ofthe standards 1 and 2, the one in the standard 2 being shown mostclearly in Fig. 5 and is designated by the numeral 40; while the one instandard 1 is shown most clearly in Fig. 8, being designated by 40a.Said slots extend from the rear edge of the standards forwardly into theupper portions of the slots 7 and 6, respectively, which are atright-angles thereto. 1n

each of said slots is pivoted a hook-arm 41 and 42, being pivoted on therespective bolts 43 and 44 which extend therethrough. Formed in the rearfaces of the ioor-wheels 8 and 9, near their peripheries, and locatedradially therearound, are a plurality of notches, 8 and 9 respectively,as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. The inner or forward ends of thehook-arms 43 and 44 are adapted to engage in said notches of therespective wheels 8 and 9 at such times as when the outer hook portionof said hook-arms are down, as shown i'n Fig. 8; or to be disengagedtherefrom when the legs are in contact with the standards as shown inFig.I 5. Formed vthrough each of the legs 28 and 29 is a slot, that inthe leg 29 being shown in Fig. 5 and indicated by the numeral 45 andthat in the leg 28 being designated by 45ab as shown in Fig. 8. Saidslots 45 and .45aL are located opposite the corresponding slots in thestandards as shown in said views, and the rear hook portion of saidhook-arms are movable through said slots 45 and 45a, as shown in Fig. 5.Secured across the lower portion of each of said slots 45a and 45, onthe rear faces of the legs 28 and 29 is a catch 46 and 47, respectively,over which may engage the hook of the members 41 and 42 respectively asshown in the drawings.

From the above it is apparent that when the invention is to be used as ashelf-ladder, as in Fig. 1, that the legs are placed back parallel andin engagement with the standards where they will be retained by thehookarms 41 and 42, this engagement will of course retain the hook-armsout of engagement with the hoor-wheels and allow them to revolve freelyon the iioor.

When used as an ordinary step-ladder then the legs are moved back to theposition shown in Fig. 2, this of course will release said hookarmsallowing their rear portion to drop down by gravity and causing theirinner end portion to engage in the notches of the floor wheels, therebylocking the floor wheels as shown in Figs. 2 and 8.

- Various changes may be made in the details of construction hereinshown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now fully shown and described my invention and the best means forits construction to me known at thisvtime, whatl claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent y of the United States, is-

l. A combination ladder having means whereby it may be employed as amovable shelf-ladder and also as an ordinary ste ladder, the combinationof the standards connected by steps, wheels mounted to the lower ends ofthe standards, brackets secured to the upper ortion of the standards,track wheels carrie by said brackets, a pair of legs connected togetherby intermediate means and connected at their upper ends by iio links tothe up er portion of the ladder,

means whereby t e legs may be secured out of o erative osition incontact with the stan ards an whereby the legs may be located away fromthe standards and in operative position at angles op osite to theinclination to the standards, al substantially as shown and describedand for the purposes set forth.

2. A combination ladder having standards connected by steps, floorwheels mounted to the lower ends of the standards, brackets eX- tendingback from the central ortions of the standards, a shelf extending ackfrom the standards and restin on said brackets, track wheels connecte tothe rear portions of the brackets, housings surrounding saidtrack-wheels, guide wheels located on each side of each of said trackwheels, a permanent extension extending above said shelf, a pair of legsconnected to ether and in alinement with the standards, links by whichthe upper ends of the legs are connected to said brackets and by whichthe upper ends of the legs may be moved forward and backward, hookarmsfor connecting the lower ends of the legs to the lower nends of thestandards, and means whereby said hook-arms will engage and hold thefloor-wheels when the legs are moved away from the standards, allsubstantially as shown and described.

3. A ladder havin a shelf, an extension rising above the shefloorfwheels for the lower part of the ladder, track Wheels for the uper part of the ladder, a permanent track in ependent of the ladder,antifriction means for retaining the track wheel in engagement with saidtrack, a air of legs movable bodily away from the la der proper andconnected thereto by links at the upper ends, hookarms at the lowerortions of the ladder for holding thelegs against the ladder ro er andfor locking the floor wheels when the lb s are moved back from theladder pro er, al substantially as shown and describe In testimonywhereof I have hereunto subscribed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

4 FRANCIS E. SCOTT.

Witnesses:

R. E. RANDLE, R. W. RANDLE.

